Intertwining the mind, body, and energy is the primary goal of Kripalu
yoga. Those who practice it believe that the body contains energy pulsations
in a flow that are called prana, which is sometimes referred to as life force.
The idea is that the smallest thought or worry can cause problems with the
prana in your physical body. That is why Kripalu is important; it is a way of
being aware of the prana and using breathing with thought to prevent blockage
or disturbance of the life force in your body. In turn, you will feel an
increased level of mental clarity and emotional control.

Boiled down to its essence, Kripalu yoga is about looking at yourself in
order to free you. Kripallu yoga followers believe that by simply examining
and experiencing physical, emotional, and mental processes, you begin to erase
blockages in the prana. In turn, this creates a better flow of life force
inside you and invokes a feeling of physical and mental well-being.

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Why Kripalu?

Yoga, in all its forms, has been shown to be highly effective in honing the
physical human body. This is much of the reason for yoga’s immense
popularity. What Kripalu does, though, is use the physical body and yoga’s
benefits to it as a vehicle for pursuing the greater good of mental and
emotional stability and clarity. Hence, many believe it to be the most
complete and beneficial form of yoga. The idea is that as you release your
emotional and mental impurity, you increase the amount of prana in your system
which in turn also helps with physical healing and performance. Of course,
when all yoga practices and meditation are prefaced with techniques, such as
the Maharic Seal (Azurite Press), that seal the body's energy fields from
external influences, the experience of self knowledge is both clearer and
authentic. Kripalu yoga does not teach this, however.

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Many use this popular form of yoga to combine physical fitness with self
growth and the empowerment of the self. In Kripalu, you will learn to lead
yourself through self-examination rather than through a leader or instructor.
In this form of yoga, leadership is there only to help you turn yourself into
your own leader. Your sensitivity to self, others, and your own body will
increase from the focus you will receive when you look inside. To take it
deeper, many believe that you are using your body to as a temple to attract
the presence of those powers greater than yourself. Though some may be
skeptical, many more feel such presences when led there through their own
self-examination.

When you learn Kripalu from an instructor, you will find that it usually
does not matter what your level is in yoga. The classes are generally
conducted in the same way for new yoga practitioners and veterans alike. The
emphasis, remember, is on looking inside yourself and seeing what is there.
Though there are postures and a “right” way to do them, you will likely be
encouraged to concentrate on your mental state and on increasing the flow of
your prana.

Moreover, Kripalu is truly about life change. You will learn to focus on
your spiritual well being outside of the classroom as well as while you're on
the yoga mat, contributing to your overall well being and helping you on your
way to being the best person you can be.

Kripalu is a unique form of yoga. With emphasis on looking at the self and
ridding it of all that has gone awry, this form of yoga is about more than
just fitness of the body. It is about fitness of emotions, spirit, and even a
little bit of the soul.